The Tempest

Synopsis

Trevor Nunn directs Ralph Fiennes  as Prospero in The Tempest as the part of his electrifying season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Almost certainly Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest tells the story of Prospero, Prospero, Duke of Milan. His dukedom is usurped by his brother Antonio and together with his daughter Miranda, he is put to sea with some magical books smuggled in by his loyal councillor Gonzalo. The sea casts them up on an island where Prospero, exercising his magical powers, makes a home for himself and Miranda. One day a great storm, which Prospero has conjured, breaks up a passing ship and delivers to him the members of his usurping court. Treacherous brother, fellow conspirators and old friend alike come under Prospero's spell. 

Ralph Fiennes was last on the London stage in 2008 when he played the title role in the National Theatre's production of Oedipus. His many other stage credits include God of Carnage, Julius Caesar, Brand, Coriolanus, Richard II and Hamlet, which transferred to Broadway, where he has also appeared in Faith Healer.

In addition to Lord Voldemost in the Harry Potter films, Ralph Fiennes films include Coriolanus, Cemetery Junction, The Reader, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, The English Patient, Schindler’s List, Quiz Show and the new James Bond film, which he’ll begin shooting after The Tempest.

He is joined in The Tempest by Nicholas Lyndhurst as Trinculo (best known for playing Rodney in the BBC's long-running sitcom Only Fools and Horses), Clive Wood as Stephano and Elisabeth Hopper (currently appearing in Trevor Nunn's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at the Theatre Royal Haymarket) as Miranda.

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Our Review:

7 September 2011

This really is an island full of noises, sound and sweet airs: Trevor Nunn's production is full of it. Perhaps it's the number of musicals he's directed but it seems he can't resist a musical number.

Nor can he resist stage trickery; Nunn is pulling out all the stops, with an Ariel (played by three actors at this point) throwing fire during the storm. There's rope work a-plenty, back projections, a whole box of tricks.

It's not a production that needs such gimmickry. At the heart of it is an excellent Prospero from Ralph Fiennes.

Compared to more recent incarnations, Fiennes presents Propero as neither a domineering tyrant nor as a manipulator, but as a world-weary middle-aged man. Even when he's subjecting Ferdinand to his tasks, there's little sense of any dominance.

Fiennes is a superb verse speaker and he brings some tenderness to the role, not just to his daughter – there’s a real sense of Prospero as a father – but also ...

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Latest User Review

David Baxter - 28 October 2011:

The last production of The Tempest I saw clocked in at just two hours but inevitably Trevor Nunn has managed to drag out Shakespeare's shortest play to three hours (including interval) and apparently it was nearer to four hours at one point of the rehearsal period. As so often with Nunn these days the result is ofetn turgid with much of the magic lost and things reach a nadir with an interminable wedding presided over by Cirque de Soleil. Although some of the acting in minor roles is pretty poor there are some excellent performances, particularly Andrew Jarvis as Gonzalo, Elizabeth Hopper as a delightfully childlike Miranda and Tom Byam Shaw as Ariel (one of three!) who is a much less irritating spirit than some I have seen. However, Nicholas Lyndhurst doesn't justify second billing as Trinculo and I felt that the characterisation of Caliban was completely misjudged. Ralph Fiennes portrays Prospero as a middle aged man weary of life and too tire to wreak full revenge on his usurpers. It's an unusually tolerant and forgiving Prospero but one that Fiennes puts across superbly and with tremendous command of the verse. It now seems amazing that Nunn was such an acclaimed Artistic Director of the RSC given some of his more recent efforts but despite this the magic of one of my favourite plays manages to survive....

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